News

Quarantine at CWM after death of four infants

Maggie Boyle

June 21, 2017 6:42 pm

The Ministry of Health has introduced a partial quarantine as a precaution in sections of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where four infants have died in the past 23 days.

In a statement released last night, the Ministry explained that while the deceased had severe pre-existing life threatening conditions, subsequent blood and spinal fluid tests showed that the infants had also contracted the acinetobacter baumanii bacterium.

This comes after the Ministry confirmed an outbreak in March of this year where seven premature babies severely sick had also died and tests later revealed the presence of Acinetobacter baumanii bacterium.

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Tests than had been sent abroad for further analysis with the Ministry yet to report on the results.

The Ministry maintains that there is no evidence that this bacterium which is wide-spread in hospitals around the world, caused the deaths of these infants.

All new neonatal admissions requiring intensive care are being treated in areas of the NICU where there is no serious risk of bacterial infection.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Phillip Davies says they’re taking every action to minimise the risk of bacterial infection and are working closely with the local expert staff and the World Health Organisation to ensure work is in line with international best practice.

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